POOPED OUT AND ROASTED

Shit by any other name!
　
COFFEE FROM CAT DROPPINGS CLEAN ENOUGH FOR MUSLIMS
Indonesia’s top Islamic council says that civet coffee extracted from civet cats’ dung can be consumes as long as beans, eaten by nocturnal critters, were washed
　
Associated Press
July 20, 2010
　
Indonesia's top Islamic body declared Tuesday that Muslims can drink civet coffee - the world's most expensive coffee, which is extracted from the dung of civet cats.
　
A preacher recently suggested the beverage might not be "halal" - or religiously approved - because its unusual provenance makes it unclean. But after a long discussion Tuesday, the influential Indonesian Ulema Council said that the coffee, known locally as Kopi Luwak, could be consumed as long as the beans were washed.
　
Kopi Luwak, which takes it name from the Indonesian word for civets, is made from hard beans that have been eaten by the nocturnal critters and then fermented in their stomachs before being pooped out and roasted. Civet cats are mongoose-like animals.
　
It's highly prized for its smooth flavor and bitterless aftertaste, sometimes fetching well over $200 a pound ($440 per kilogram) online.
　
"Kopi Luwak can be declared 'halal' after passing through a washing process," said Maruf Amien, acting head of the council. "Producing, selling and drinking it is allowed."
　
In Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, Kopi Luwak is produced in the main Java island, Sumatra and Sulawesi. It is also found under different names elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Only 450 kilograms are said to be produced annually worldwide.
　
The Ulema Council has often issued fatwas, or edicts, including several controversial rulings against smoking and yoga. Its edicts are not legally binding, but many devout Muslims abide by them.